So, I have a little brother and sister, who are 12 and 14, respectively. Even though they are officially "teenagers," I still find that they are not too old to watch cartoons (even though they claim to be), and to be perfectly honest, neither am I. So, because of that, I've decided to dedicate my first entry to them, and talk about some of their favorite programs on TV.
After I did my little bit of research about the programs that interest my younger siblings, I found out some things about their favorite TV station, Cartoon Network....Unfortunately, these things are kinda sad and disappointing. So, I'm sorry, you guys, but you deserve to know. Here's what I've discovered:
Cartoon Network is cancelling some of their most popular cartoon programs to make room for more "Real" programs.
According to The Daily Cartoonist, a blog about the ins and outs of all things cartoon, some of the kid-oriented cartoon programs in Cartoon Network's line-up are being cancelled to make room for tween-targeted "reality" shows. The main reason? Budget cuts. The "Real" programs, apparently, are cheaper to film and produce.
For instance, Chowder, an off-beat, but quite funny show about a young, chubby apprentice chef who is studying the culinary arts under the tutelege of famed chef Mung Daal, has halted production on all new episodes after only three years and three seasons in production. It now only airs reruns during the late morning hours---basically, when the intended audience is out at school, and after the peak of prime time--basically, when the intended audience is already in bed. And pretty soon, the show will cease to air altogether.
Yeah...This glorious thing? Never happening again.
In its place, shows that feature real kids and teens doing "extraordinary" things, like Destroy! Build! Destroy! (which is totally a rip-off of some show I saw on Discovery Kids some years ago) and Dude, What Would Happen? (which is--again--a rip-off of MTV's Jackass) are taking over the prime-time slot.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Cartoon Network has cancelled potentially good shows for the sake of new or different programming.
Do you remember, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends? Or how about Kids Next Door? Let's go further back. How about Dexter's Labratory, Cow and Chicken, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Johnny Bravo, or The Powerpuff Girls?
I can still watch some of these programs on their sister channel Boomerang (unfortunately, those who only have basic cable don't stand a chance in even dreaming about seeing these shows again...), but still, wouldn't you have liked to see at least one new episode of your favorite show from back in the day? I know I would've.
So, sorry bro and sis...but in a few years, Chowder is going to be added to the long list of programs on this network that were good, but had to go.
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